Auto Insurance Rates for New Teenage Drivers

Since 16 year old teens cannot legally sign contracts, including car insurance agreements, they typically get insurance coverage by being added to their parents' existing auto insurance policy. Until they are 18 years old, teens cannot buy their own insurance.

If a teen is added as a occasional driver for an existing family car that is also driven by other family members, rates will be much lower than if the he/she is a primary driver on his/her own car. The cost of adding a driver to an existing family car insurance policy is always cheaper than taking out a separate policy.

Adding a 16 year old male teenager to a family's car insurance could easily double the cost. The exact amount of the cost increase depends on a number of factors, which we'll discuss in a moment.

Teens and their families often are tempted to try and avoid the higher cost by listing a teen as an occasional driver when they are actually a primary driver, or simply not listing the teen at all. It may seem that the scheme is working for a while — until the first time the teen is involved in an accident or receives a traffic ticket. If an accident is the teenager's fault, the insurance company has a right to deny any claims resulting from the accident, which could be financially devastating if damages and injuries are extensive. Furthermore, the company would likely cancel the family's insurance. Auto insurance companies are not dumb. They've seen every trick in the book.

Learn which auto insurance companies are best - and which are worse. Learn how to evaluate car insurance companies to find the best rates and best customer service. Most insurance companies can be easily investigated using convenient online resources.